ABOVE: Dr. Rin Porter stands with one of the rarer items in her collection, a large decorative cradleboard, as well as other items and materials that will be displayed at the Red Rock Center of the Arts in Fairmont from February 10-27 for her Native American Artifact Reproductions Collection show.

FAIRMONT – From 1994 to 2010, Dr. Rin Porter collected artifact reproductions made by Native Americans through trades she made as a vendor in Saint Cloud. Now, she has the opportunity to showcase her collection at the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont from February 10-27.

Porter first became interested in Native American history and culture when she was in graduate school, meeting with leaders of the American Indian Movement as an intern at KTCA TV.

“When I grew up in Northern Illinois, I was taught that all the Indians were dead,” she said. “Illinois had no reservations. It bothered me I didn’t know anything. At that point, I began trying to study Indian history.”

Through her studies and further curiosity, Porter eventually began receiving items from Native Americans.

“I wanted to learn about the culture,” she said. “What I found out is that the more you participate, the more will be shared with you. I would go to events, powwows, dinners, speeches, protests, whatever I could find to go to. I met a lot of people who were artists. Almost every Indian that I met was doing bead work, painting, carving or making drums or something. I began to assist some of the Indians with buying materials that they didn’t have. I would accept pieces in return instead of money, and that’s basically how I built my collection.”

One of the rarer pieces in Porter’s collection is a cradleboard. While they are designed to carry infants when needed in their first few months of life, Porter said the one in her collection was ornately designed and larger than a standard cradleboard.

“I’ve been to almost every museum in the north and west,” she said. “Denver Art Museum, museums in Montana, Nebraska, there’s a fabulous Museum at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. Nobody has cradle boards like these. The ones that they have are much smaller, more like the size of a baby, and they’re not decorated to this extent.”

Other items include a dance cape and dance vest, pipe bag, horse stick, moccasins, porcupine quills and a large Buffalo robe. The robe will be a part of a touch-and-see area for kids, of which she has already lined up some school-aged groups to come and learn.

“They’ll come and sit on the buffalo rope, and I’ll speak to them,” Porter said. “You know, ‘Have you ever seen a buffalo? What do you think about buffaloes?’ I’m going to have other materials available, deer hides, things that they can actually touch, which they probably never have. I will put the hides and various things that they can handle into a trunk.”

There is also one piece she would like to display, but currently does not have the means for. She has a small teepee, four feet in diameter, that she would like to place for display, to complement the buffalo hide. Back when she lived in St. Cloud, Porter had land with trees that she could cut to make poles for the teepee. However, she no longer has those resources.

If anyone has willow or maple wood they would wish to donate for this showcase, Porter said she can be reached at rporter@rea-alp.com.

Overall, Porter said she hopes kids are able to take what they learn from this exhibit and open their horizons.

“Indians are very artistic and have a varied history,” she said. “It would behoove people to learn what they can, which would reduce the amount of ignorance and prejudice.”

The Red Rock Center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and also by appointment. For more information, visit redrockcenter.org/ or call (507) 235-9262.